EY Announces Cassandra Morales Thurswell of Kitsch as an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 National Award Winner

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced that Cassandra Morales Thurswell, Founder and CEO of Kitsch, the game-changing global hair care brand, was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year^® 2024 National Award winner, following Cassandra's selection as a Los Angeles regional award winner in June.

For nearly 40 years, Entrepreneur Of The Year has celebrated exceptional leaders who disrupt markets, revolutionize industries and run businesses that transform lives. The program recognizes an array of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. Cassandra was chosen from a group of 214 Entrepreneur Of The Year regional winners, representing 185 companies across the US. She has built an extraordinary hair care business that not only demonstrates innovation and vision, but also has a significant positive impact on people and the planet, pioneering high-quality, accessible and sustainable beauty solutions for everyone, everywhere.

"I am so honored to be recognized by such a distinguished institution along with these like-minded leaders who are making a difference in people's lives and in the world," said Cassandra. "This win is a celebration of my team, our customers, and everything Kitsch stands for. Our business has always been about more than just dollars—it's about building community, meeting them where they live, listening to what they need, creating products with purpose, supporting diversity, and making an impact on people's lives internally and externally. It's also about giving back—mentoring other founders, reducing our carbon footprint, and contributing to saving our waterways. Standing among those 2,000 people, I realized EY Entrepreneur of the Year is the equivalent of the Oscars for entrepreneurs. It was a reality check for how far Kitsch has grown over the past 15 years."

The National winners were announced during a celebration held at the Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. "With each passing year, the world is becoming increasingly complex, and the potential challenges to a business's success are always evolving. This year's national award winners have remained undaunted in the face of market, geopolitical, and economic uncertainties," said Andrew (AJ) Jordan, EY Americas Entrepreneur Of The Year Director. "They've managed to grow, transform, and innovate within their industries and contribute to their communities even in the face of seemingly insurmountable hurdles. They lead by example and embody spirits of ambition, drive, and purpose. I cannot wait to see how they continue to transform the future."

Winners were selected by a panel of independent judges, composed of entrepreneurs and other respected business leaders from across the US, based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year^®
Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year^® has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally.

About EY
EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.

About Kitsch
Founded by Cassandra Morales Thurswell at the age of 25 in her Los Angeles apartment, Kitsch is a global beauty powerhouse built on intuition, positivity and pure hard work. The brand supports its growing 5M community with easy, elevated and healthy hair care solutions that are totally reliable, truly special, and made as sustainably as possible. Beginning in 2010 with a business plan no longer than a paragraph, Kitsch now offers a comprehensive suite of beauty favorites in over 27,000 retail locations worldwide.

Contact:
Anne Breza
917-488-4119
[email protected]

SOURCE Kitsch